Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तच्छृणुष्व महाराज नर्मदायां यथोचितम् । चतुर्विंशतिसंख्येभ्यो योजनेभ्यो व्रजेन्नरः

Transliteration

tacchṛṇuṣva mahārāja narmadāyāṃ yathocitam | caturviṃśatisaṃkhyebhyo yojanebhyo vrajennaraḥ

Translation

ขอพระองค์ทรงสดับเถิด มหาราช เรื่องนรมทาอันสมควรนี้ว่า บุรุษพึงออกจาริกตามกำหนดระยะยี่สิบสี่ยোজন

Word by Word

• तत्: that (teaching)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• नर्मदायाम्: in/at the Narmadā
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• यथोचितम्: as is proper
• यथोचितम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-उचित (प्रातिपदिक; यथा + उचित)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)

• चतुर्विंशतिसंख्येभ्यः: from the count of twenty-four
• चतुर्विंशतिसंख्येभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंशति-संख्य (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर्विंशति + संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), बहुवचन

• योजनेभ्यः: from (those) yojanas
• योजनेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/Ablative), बहुवचन

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā yātrā segment (24 yojanas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener is addressed; the speaker outlines a Narmadā journey of twenty-four yojanas, suggesting a disciplined pilgrimage along the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Narmadā’s sacred discipline is not vague; pilgrimage and expiation are guided by measured, śāstra-informed practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) river itself, central to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prescribed yātrā measure: undertaking travel counted as twenty-four yojanas (as part of the Narmadā-related observance).